China

Russia

Energy

Russia and China signed a memorandum of understanding to build the Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline following recent talks between the two countries' presidents, Reuters reported Sept. 2. However, the CEO of the Russian state energy company Gazprom, Alexei Miller, confirmed that the price of Russian gas exported via the pipeline has not yet been agreed upon.

Russia, China: Countries Sign Deal to Advance New Pipeline, but Pricing Gap Shows Beijing's Leverage

Environment, Science & Technology

Politics

Science & Technology

During the annual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) held on Aug. 31-Sept. 1, Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged to support regional tech development through artificial intelligence and the Beidou navigation system. He also pledged to help each SCO nation install 10 gigawatts of new green energy in the next five years, and proposed an SCO development bank.

China: Beijing Decries Trade Protectionism at SCO, Pushes Regional Trade

United States

Global Trade

U.S.-China Relations

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company announced on Sept. 2 that the U.S. Commerce Department had revoked a waiver for its plant in Nanjing, allowing it to import advanced chipmaking gear and technology from the United States.

U.S., China: U.S. to Stop Letting Asian Chipmakers Ship Equipment to Plants in China

India

In a Truth Social post on Sept. 1, U.S. President Donald Trump claimed that India had agreed to reduce its tariffs on U.S. goods to zero, though he did not specify when the offer was made, Bloomberg reported the same day.

U.S., India, China, Russia: Modi Meets Putin and Xi at SCO Summit

North Korea

Economics

South Korea's central bank estimated on Aug. 29 that North Korea's economy grew by 3.7% in 2024, marking North Korea's fastest growth rate since 2016, Reuters reported on Aug. 29. 

North Korea: Economy Grows by 3.7%, Fastest in Eight Years, Aided by Russia

Philippines

Taiwan

Military & Security

Chinese coast guard vessels intercepted Philippine ships attempting to resupply a small contingent of marines stationed aboard the grounded BRP Sierra Madre at the Second Thomas Shoal, while also deploying a heavy tugboat likely intended to signal an ability to remove the vessel, the South China Morning Post reported on Aug. 28.

Philippines, China, Taiwan: Tensions Converge in South China Sea and Cross-Strait Arenas

Mexico

Mexico is set to raise tariffs on cars, textiles and plastics from China and other Asian countries to shield its businesses from cheap imports and appease the United States, Bloomberg reported Aug. 27.

Mexico, China, U.S.: Mexico To Impose Tariffs on Chinese Imports in Bid To Curry Favor With Washington

Chinese trade envoy Li Chenggang will travel to the United States the week of Aug. 25 for deputy-level talks with U.S. officials at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative and the U.S. Treasury Department, according to Reuters on Aug. 26.

China, U.S.: Chinese Trade Envoy To Hold Deputy-Level Talks in Washington

Assessments

Ecuador

Ukraine

Helicopters fly in the sky during a rehearsal for a military parade Aug. 24 in Beijing.

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

A look at what the coming week will bring -- and a list of recommended RANE articles from the week that was.

The Weekly Rundown: An SCO Summit, Rubio Closes Security Deals With Mexico and Ecuador

Snapshots

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping attend a meeting on May 14, 2015, in Xian, China. 

While Trump-era tariff pressures offer a new economic incentive for cooperation, Beijing and New Delhi are unlikely to fully normalize ties due to enduring strategic and security concerns.

Despite Modest Improvement, India-China Relations Face Enduring Challenges

Bolivia

Israel

Palestinian Territories

An aerial view shows a campaign poster of Bolivian presidential candidate Samuel Doria Medina and his supporters marching during a rally in La Paz, Bolivia, on Aug. 12, 2025.

The Weekly Rundown: Bolivian Elections, a Controversial Israeli Settlement Plan 

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during the "Winning the AI Race" summit hosted by All‑In Podcast and Hill & Valley Forum at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium on July 23, 2025, in Washington, D.C. 

Relaxed U.S. export controls on key semiconductors will enable Chinese companies to accelerate their advancement of AI-focused chips.

How U.S. Export Concessions Could Boost China's AI Ambitions

U.S. President Donald Trump (R) looks at Russia's President Vladimir Putin on Nov. 30, 2018, during the G20 Leaders' Summit in Buenos Aires, Argentina. U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are expected to meet in the coming days.

Israel-Hamas Conflict

The Weekly Rundown: A Trump-Putin Summit, the Deadline for a U.S.-China Tariff Pause

A 3D modeled town in the shape of the Chinese flag.

Trade tensions will exacerbate China's excess savings problems, but the economic situation will remain manageable

Beijing Grapples With Deflation, Overinvestment as Tariff Pressures Mount

A voter leaves a booth during voting for the recall election at a polling station in Taipei, Taiwan, on July 26, 2025. 

Its victory in the recall votes will embolden the opposition KMT to press on with controversial reforms and defense spending cuts, but it will also help prevent a near-term escalation of cross-strait tensions.

A Failed Recall Emboldens Taiwan's Opposition

Canada

Cambodia

Japan

South Korea

Thailand

Europe

A Cambodian soldier stands on a truck with a rocket launcher in Cambodia's Oddar Meanchey province, which borders Thailand, on July 25, 2025. 

The Weekly Rundown: U.S. Tariff Deadline Passes, Thai-Cambodian Border Tensions Persist

Australia

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese speaks during a luncheon at Parliament House in Canberra on June 17, 2024. 

The Australian prime minister's efforts to stabilize relations with Beijing will yield short-term economic benefits, but rising regional security concerns will ultimately limit long-term engagement.

The Challenges Facing Albanese's Bid to Reset China-Australia Relations

Egypt

Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly (center right) meets with Chinese Premier Li Qiang (center left) in Cairo on July 10, 2025.

In the coming years, Egypt will deepen its economic ties with China via increased trade and investment, while simultaneously maintaining its military alliance with the U.S. to address regional security concerns.

Egypt Navigates Its Needs for Chinese Investment and U.S. Military Support

A worker positions a robotic underwater vehicle that can be remotely operated to harvest mineral deposits in the deep ocean, after conducting tests in a lake in Collingwood, Ontario, on May 1, 2025.

Recent U.S. actions will likely accelerate commercial seabed mining operations in certain resource-rich waters around the world, despite international regulatory hurdles and ongoing environmental concerns.

Deep-Sea Mining: Opportunities, Risks and the Path to Commercial Extraction

South Africa

 The European Union and China will hold a high-level leaders' summit July 24 in Beijing, marking the 50th anniversary of Chinese-EU diplomatic relations.

The Weekly Rundown: An EU-China Summit, South Africa's Budget Vote

<p>China is situated on the eastern third of the Eurasian landmass, between Russia, mainland Southeast Asia, the Indian subcontinent and Central Asia. Its more than 9,000 mile-long coastline abuts the Yellow, East and South China Seas. China is a country of deep geographic divisions. Most fundamental is the split between its fertile eastern lowlands and the arid, sparsely populated highlands that enclose the lowlands like a shell. More than a billion people live in the ethnic Han Chinese core, making it one of the most densely populated places on Earth. Traditionally, threats to China&#39;s Han core originated in the borderlands. To guard against overland invasion, successive Chinese rulers have sought to push the Core&#39;s borders outward &mdash;integrating these highlands as strategic &quot;buffer&quot; zones. These zones form a shield, protecting and containing the core. To be secure, China must control the buffer regions. But maintaining control of the regions, in turn, requires a strong and united core. And that means overcoming immense internal divisions &mdash; not only between northern and southern regions orbiting the Yellow and Yangtze rivers, but also between smaller regional units, each with their own geography, history, dialect and interests. Chinese history is defined by cycles of unity and fragmentation, from periods when a strong Han core captures and holds the surrounding buffers to those when a weak core breaks into its constituent parts, loses internal coherence and cedes control of the borderlands. This pattern, rooted in China&#39;s geography, has played out with remarkable consistency. By comparison, China&#39;s maritime interests have remained mostly limited to coastal waters. Today, however, growing international trade and rising Chinese reliance on overseas resources threaten to alter the pattern, adding a new maritime dimension to the struggle for buffer space &mdash; and potentially upending the long-standing dynamics of China&#39;s geographic challenge.</p>

SITUATION REPORTS

Russia, China: Countries Sign Deal to Advance New Pipeline, but Pricing Gap Shows Beijing's Leverage

China: Beijing Decries Trade Protectionism at SCO, Pushes Regional Trade

U.S., China: U.S. to Stop Letting Asian Chipmakers Ship Equipment to Plants in China

U.S., India, China, Russia: Modi Meets Putin and Xi at SCO Summit

North Korea: Economy Grows by 3.7%, Fastest in Eight Years, Aided by Russia

Philippines, China, Taiwan: Tensions Converge in South China Sea and Cross-Strait Arenas

Mexico, China, U.S.: Mexico To Impose Tariffs on Chinese Imports in Bid To Curry Favor With Washington

China, U.S.: Chinese Trade Envoy To Hold Deputy-Level Talks in Washington

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